The development of the first Qatar national museum

Abstract

This chapter investigates the establishment of the first National Museum in Qatar in the 1970s, during the reign of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani. Opened on the 23 June 1975, the Qatar National Museum became the first official museum inaugurated in Qatar. Little has been written about the first Qatar National Museum, and is based on interviews with individuals involved in its establishment. As an introduction to the discussion of the development of the first Qatar National Museum, it is necessary to reflect briefly on the development of Qatar as an independent state. It was this building that Sheikh Khalifa chose to house the new Qatar National Museum. Mustafa Darwish Al-Far, the first Director of Qatar National Museum and a participant in the archaeological work, stated that these pre-historic artefacts were extremely important for Sheikh Khalifa, as they represented his commitment to enhancing the knowledge of Qatari history and identity at a time of great social change.